Commentary “Are you now, or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?” That question brought dread and fear to countless Americans during the dark days of the “Hollywood Blacklist,” “McCarthyism” and the “Second Red Scare” of the early 1950s. The consequences of wrong thinking about politics seventy years ago could be dire. When the likes of Wisconsin Senator Joe McCarthy urged the private sector to root out communists, a moral panic was ignited, during which those deemed to have communist sympathies were rendered unemployable—not because of any criminality or illegal actions they had taken, but simply because of what they believed or were accused of once believing. It was a dark and unjust time, which—once the panic exhausted itself—Americans vowed never to repeat. Alas, as anyone who pays attention to the news knows, the bad old days of blacklisting and guilt by association have returned—only this time, …